Parveen Babi was an Indian actress and fashion icon who ruled the hearts of cine-goers in the 70s and 80s with her beauty and distinguished Western looks and was known for her films like Deewaar (1975), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), The Burning Train (1980), Shaan (1980), Kranti (1981), Namak Halaal (1982), and Arpan (1983). She was the first Indian film star to appear on the cover of the prestigious Time magazine in 1976.
Unlike the typical leading ladies of that time, they exuded confidence, embracing Western influences and behaviours like drinking and smoking. Parveen represented the “new” Indian woman—sophisticated, intelligent, and self-reliant. With her slim figure and elegant demeanour, she challenged the stereotype of buxom, melodramatic actresses, redefining the perception of female characters in Indian cinema.
Parveen, along with the equally iconic Zeenat Aman, revolutionised the portrayal of Bollywood heroines, shifting from the traditional, conservative image to that of a modern, independent woman.
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Parveen Babi was born on April 4, 1949, to a noble family in Junagadh, India. Her father, “Vali Mohammed Khan Babi,” was a Pashtun who worked as an administrator with the Nawab of Junagadh. She completed her schooling at “Mount Carmel High School, Ahmedabad” and completed her graduation from St. Xavier’s College in Ahmedabad. At 18, she ventured into Bollywood, drawn by her passion for cinema.
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Babi was a successful model at the time of her film debut in 1973 with “Charitra,” which also marked the debut of star cricketer Salim Durrani. Babi’s first success came in the 1974 thriller “Majboor.” Beginning her long collaboration with Amitabh Bachchan, they did several super-successful films together, including “Deewar” (1975), “Amar Akbar Anthony” (1977), “Suhaag” (1979), “Kaala Patthar” (1979), “Shaan” (1980), Do Aur Do Paanch (1980), Kaalia (1981), and Mahaan (1983).
Besides Amitabh, she appeared in several commercially successful films with Shashi Kapoor, Feroz Khan, Jitendra, Dharmendra, and Vinod Khanna, like Kala Sona (1975), The Burning Train (1980), Meri Aawaz Suno (1981), Arpan (1982), “Namak Halaal” (1982), Jaani Dost (1983), Razia Sultan (1983), and Sitamgar (1985).
During the 1980s, she performed in several well-acclaimed movies, such as Kranti (1981), Ashanti (1982) with Zeenat Aman and Shabana Azmi, which was inspired by the American television show Charlie’s Angels, Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Rang Birangi (1983), and Mangal Pandey (1983).
In the early 1980s, she faced a decline in her capabilities due to her struggles with mental illness. But in 1983, suddenly, everything turned upside down—she did not show up for shoots, disappeared for months, and lost touch with family and friends. She left for the US, and when she came back, she was not herself.
Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom
She was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, her constant paranoia led her to make accusations against many who were close to her, including Amitabh Bachchan. This led to her becoming a recluse and isolating herself from most people. Unable to call for help and with no one around to monitor her, she finally succumbed to a gangrenous injury on her leg and was said to have been dead for over 72 hours on January 20, 2005.
Babi was in relationships with Kabir Bedi, Danny Denzongpa, and Mahesh Bhatt, but in the end, she was alone, sick, and afraid of everyone. Once a bright, intelligent, and beautiful woman, loved and admired by millions, she was reduced to a mere shadow of herself.
She also started a career as an interior decorator in 1983. After withdrawing from show business, she took up music, piano, painting, architecture, literature, writing, cultural and archaeological study, politics, photography, sculpture, and human rights issues.
